Yanks finish off pesky Royals with a 12-run assault

This was a high scoring game that didn’t bring much drama. Sure, Joba made things interesting in the eighth, letting the Royals get to within two before he recorded an out, but even then the game was rarely in doubt. The Yanks’ hitters were out in force yesterday, and after Joba’s slip-up they came back and made the lead Chad Ho Moseley proof. It was a nice four-game series win, though against the Royals that’s to be expected.

Biggest Hit: Derek ties it

None of Jeter today. | Photo credit: Kathy Willens/AP

After going 0 for 4 in the first game of the Anaheim series, Derek Jeter was making some noise — though not the good kind. His season line fell to .268/.332/.380, which naturally led to more talk about his winter contract negotiations. Five games does not a turnaround make, but any sign of life is welcome from Jeter. After his 3 for 4 day, which included a walk, Jeter is now 10 for his last 24 with two doubles, a homer, and two walks.

His big hit yesterday came during the team’s rally in the third. The Royals had just taken a 2-0 lead on what might have been the shortest home run in Yankee Stadium history, and wanted to get their guy back some runs. Granderson delivered the first with a homer to lead off the inning. Two batters later Ramiro Pena singled. And when Ramiro Pena gets on base, well, you’ve got to bring him around. You don’t want to waste such a rare opportunity.

Sean O’Sullivan, who had held Jeter hitless on Tuesday, started with a fastball up and in that Jeter fouled away. Then he came back with a curveball that caught a bit of the plate, though it was still in the favorable low-outside portion. WIth many hitters that will work. With Derek Jeter it can spell trouble. He delivered with a liner to center, bringing Pena all the way around to score. With the throw Jeter himself moved to third.

That position became important just two batters later, when Mark Teixeira grounded a single that scored Jeter. And then Alex Rodriguez brought Tex all the way around to score in a double. That made the score 4-2. Total WPA added in the bottom of the third: .375.

Biggest Pitch: Pods’s first shot, Aviles’s double play

Photo credit: Kathy Willens/AP

Sometimes the biggest pitch comes on a negative, when the Yanks’ pitcher gives up a particularly important hit. Other times it comes when he gets out of a jam. It’s pretty clear that Podsednik’s homer was a bigger negative than Aviles’s double play was a positive, but because Phil pitched fairly well I thought we’d include both.

First off, the base runner for Podsednik’s homer, Chris Getz, got on by lining one off Phil Hughes. He almost recovered to make the play, but instead Getz made it to first safely. After getting checked out by Gene Monahan and company, Hughes went to work on Podsednik. He went exclusively with the fastball, mostly high in the zone. He worked the count 0-2 and then missed high with a third fastball. Then on the fourth he still missed high, it appeared, but Podsednik went with it and looped it out to left. It dinked off the foul pole and that was that.

The only times the Royals got to Hughes were on home runs. In the fourth he put a 3-2 fastball right down the middle for Rick Ankiel, and Ankiel did that thing where he provides value to his team, a rarity for sure. Otherwise Hughes was okay, not great, but certainly not as bad as he looked in previous games. After the Ankiel homer he allowed just one more hit, a dinky single to Alex Gordon. He also walked none in the game.

As for his biggest positive, that came in the second. He had allowed Ankiel to single leading off the inning, but then got Mike Aviles to ground into a 4-3 double play. It wasn’t anything fancy; just your basic twin killing. But it took the pressure off, at least.

Where he’s going, he doesn’t need home runs

Not the most flattering photo. | Photo credit: Kathy Willens/AP

On Thursday, in his final at-bat, Alex Rodriguez hit home run No. 599. Since then the Stadium has waited in anticipation of No. 600. It was his third hit of the night, and he has delivered with hits in each of the next three games, though none of them left the yard. With his 2 for 4 day he is now 5 for 12 with a double, walk, and HBP since No. 599. So even while he’s not smacking his historic homer, he’s still been productive as ever.

That HBP did cause a scare, as the ball deflected off his hand. It just left a mark, though, and everyone seems to agree that he’s fine. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take a seat tomorrow, but with A-Rod you never know.

Miscelanny

Photo credit: Kathy Willens/AP

From the Oakland series through the Anaheim series Brett Gardner was 6 for 37 (.162) with no extra base hits (though he did walk nine times). In the Royals series he was 3 for 11 with two doubles and two walks.

Before yesterday Curtis Granderson hadn’t homered since the extra-innings affair in Arizona. With his 2 for 4 day he is now 16 for 49 (.327) with two doubles, two homers (.490 SLG) and four walks (.370 OBP) since the Seattle series.

Happy 1,000th career hit, Robinson Cano. He did that in his 3,454th career PA. It took Jeter until career PA No. 3,542 to hit his thousandth.

Mark Teixeira watch: .264/.375/.488. It will take 18 total bases in his next 25 AB to reach a .500 SLG.

I dunno, the vague possiblity that we could have lost A-Rod for the season with a broken hand/wrist was pretty dramatic I think

Brooklyn Ed

agree, if Blake Wood didn’t want to pitch to him, walk him. not plunk him. Cashman don’t want an extra agenda to do on the trade deadline.

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

I don’t think he hit him intentionally. The bases were loaded, after all.

Jonathan

I think there’s definitely a difference between intentionally drilling a guy, and buzzing him on purpose enough times that you may not mean to hit him, but if it happens, you’re not worried at all. I mean he doesn’t dive like Jeter and he still got buzzed i’d say close to 10 total times in the series. I can’t say for the actual organization, but growing up in Kansas, the team they hate the most is the Yankees. It has nothing to do with our rivalry back when I was a gleem in my father’s eye, or the fact that we used them as our Triple A farm system team in the 60’s, it has to do with the warped ignorance of we’re the bad guys, we’re all on steroids and overpayed. Even though they’re the team paying Farnsworth 5 mill (and did so for a couple of years, ON PURPOSE!) and Meche 11 mill for 5 years. They don’t get the fact that player prices are driven up by teams that suck and won’t put a winner on the field so they have to overpay mediocre talent to join them. Paying ELITE players like Tex/Jeter/Arod/CC/Cano/Mo elite money isn’t what’s doing it. But they just put all the blame in having a top 3 of Podsednik, Kendall, and Betemit. By the way, anyone else notice they got rid of John Buck and Miguel Olivo and they have like a combined 35 homers more than Jason Kendall? Anyway, rant over. I just thought I’d convey the mindset of the typical Royal fan and possibly the entire team. They feel bullied and they weren’t scared to drill Arod and showed it many times. We’re lucky he was OK and it didn’t happen more than once. If i was managing I would have left Joba in and told him to Drill people at 98 until he gets tossed. And then the guys that got hit might have pulled a padilla or the guy from the Twins where they get mad at their own pitcher because they realize they’re the ones that got them drilled.

Jonathan

Also, since they go off about the steroids things….has anyone noticed that yes, a lot of people that have played for the Yankees were linked to PED’s at one point or another…but all of the stars were on another team at the time. Giambi’s proved use was on the A’s. Sheffield the Dodgers, Andy the Astro’s, Clemens the Blue Jays, Arod the Rangers. I mean if anything the Rangers, A’s and Giants were the real steroids teams right? They were the teams with the most players busted while actually playing for them..I mean Canseco explains the A’s and Rangers and BALCO explains the Giants..

http://ballcraft.blogspot.com Zanath

I’m pretty sure Andy was on the Yankees when he used HGH. But either way, he said it was only once. And I tend to believe Andy.

TrufflesEater

A minor point, perhaps, but for the sake of historical accuracy, it needs to be said that it was during the 50s, not the 60s, that the Kansas City club served as the Yankees’ AAAA depository. Specifically, from around 1955 to 1960.

Jonathan

growing up i was always in the math class a year up. My very first day in JR high when i was still in grade school the teacher assigned homework. I didn’t do it as it was the practice warm up for the book and a total joke. The teacher forgot to collect the homework and as we’re getting up to leave this kid that was also in 6th grade runs up to the front of the class and says teacher! teacher! you can’t leave! you didn’t collect our hw yet!!! Is it you?

Sweet Dick Willie

I pointed this out on a previous thread, but it bears repeating.

That was the Kansas City Athletics (now the Oakland A’s) that the Yankees got the better of in so many trades in the ’50s.

The Kansas City Royals as we now know them didn’t come into existence until 1969.

A.D.

Ridiculously scary moment while any team with 3B on the block was salivating.

radnom

Meh, I was sort of looking forward to see how Montero would fair at 3B.

Gonzo

Can someone send Tex somewhere to play full time in February and March next year?

radnom

As long as he continues to be super locked in right around October 1, I wouldn’t mess with a thing.

http://soxandpinstripes.net Angelo

It was a joke.

http://www.richardiurilli.com Richard Iurilli

No mention of the blown call on the Getz stolen base before the Posednik home run?

http://www.richardiurilli.com Richard Iurilli

Or the ridiculous call when Jorge threw his mask at the ball?

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

Complaints about umpires continue to fall on deaf ears.

Cecala

Honestly this sounds terrible, but things are not going to change until all of the so called “baseball purists” die off. I don’t mean to say that in a negative way nor do I want people to die but it is a way of life. Anyway back to my point, they are ignorant to technology and until baseball is inherited by people who live in the cyber age, nothing new is going to happen.

For some reason, older people seem ignorant when it comes to technology. It can improve the way things are played but they would rather have things the way that they grew up on. Unless the heir to Bud Selig is a younger man, I doubt that baseball will be modernized until after the guy after Bud retires. By then majority of the people involved with baseball will be in support of technology just like the way majority of the people here are.

jim p

To paraphrase the MST3K theme song

“We should remember it’s just a ballgame,
we really should relax.”

http://ballcraft.blogspot.com Zanath

Oh man, MST3K. Great, great show.

Brooklyn Ed

MO forbids, if A-Rod does land on the DL or lost for the season…does Cashman dare to play Kevin Russo at 3B or have Brandon Laird promoted to the majors? I’m sure the trade market lacks quality 3B.

http://www.richardiurilli.com Richard Iurilli

Pete Abe said that the Yankees can get Mike Lowell for Mark Melancon.

Brooklyn Ed

don’t know what he’s smoking….

ShuutoHeat (GGBG > Crawford)

the good stuff apparently

Wil Nieves #1 Fan

LOL

Little Bill

Which is exactly what they need to do. Pete also said they could get David Ortiz for Jesus Montero and Joba Chamberlain. With Haren and Lee now out of the picture I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Yanks offer this trade to the Sox.

Also, I think Pete Abe is declaring the season over after today’s loss by the Sox. One week after he trashed his own readers for being pessimistic about their chances. I guess Marco Scutaro isn’t as good as Derek Jeter after all.

Carlosologist

No, just no. You give up Montero for a legit superstar, not the reanimated corpse of David Ortiz.

http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

You got whooshed, man.

Anyway, yeah, I think it’s pretty funny Pete was like “Is this the loss that defines the season???” when he mocked his readers for being pessimistic a few days ago. I actually don’t mind people getting mocked for being pessimistic, there really is a lot of season to go, but Pete is so nasty to his readers.

I also think it was hilarious that I went to his blog to read it, and there was a post that was like “Happy Anniversary!” with a picture of the A-Rod/Varitek fight. Ahahahaha

Dirty Pena

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Pete Abe is good at reporting/getting info, completely horrendous at everything else about having a blog. Anyone who doesn’t like LoHud better now has the last name of Abraham.

Cecala

Why would you go on Pete Abes blog? Do you like torturing yourself? Seriously for the sake of the children stop reading crappy blogs!

http://youcantpredictbaseball.wordpress.com/ bexarama

I was verifying what he said in the article about not giving up on the season (thought he’d said the Red Sox were frontrunners for the division, he didn’t). Can’t say I make a habit of reading that blog otherwise.

Cecala

Whose is worse, his or Curt Schilling’s?

Carlosologist

Aw, I’m usually better at picking that stuff up.

chriskeo

I thought the Yankees are better off without Alex anyway, I remember someone writing that, just can’t find the article anywhere…

/ PeteAbe’d

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

They’d have to make a trade, no way around it. Jose Bautista would be the obvious target, maybe Cantu. Both would be massive drop offs, obviously.

BigBlueAL

They could also trade for Cody Ransom.

http://soxandpinstripes.net Angelo

MLBN called him a “young kid that just needs a chance to play.” I think it was Reynolds. Idiots!

Cecala

It’s a shame we don’t play the Royals more often. Besides for them being an easy team, all four games were exciting to watch. Lots of HRs and scoring plus Chad Ho Moseley are doing their best to not get DFA’d.

ethan

I was there, waited through the rain delay, and thought the crowd was going to commit a lynching after A-Rod was plunked.

Here’s what I don’t get: obviously it wasn’t intentional, not with the bases loaded. But he’d already brushed A-Rod back once that at-bat. Your star slugger is thrown at twice and hit once in a key at-bat, you come up to pitch in the top of the 9th, and you don’t make a statement at all? Chan Ho should have buzzed Ankiel right off the bat. Shown a little aggression on behalf of his teammate.

Pasqua

Knowing CHoP, he probably did try to retaliate and it ended up a strike on the outside corner.

red5993

hahahaha

Klemy

I would guess the reason he buzzed him the second time, was that swing Arod put himself on a knee with, the pitch before. The pitchers don’t really like when a guy takes a swing like that.

http://www.thesportsgenius.com John Alves

Joba needs to start improving his pitching. I don’t know what’s wrong with his mechanics. It’s probably more mental than anything. Curtis Granderson is starting to play well, and I expect him to continue to do so throughout the season and into the playoffs. He had 30 home runs last year. He won’t get to that mark this year, but he should be a bonus to the team in the future.

SK

No mention of posada’s play in the ninth in the miscellaneous section? That was really odd, despite the fact that the run meant nothing to the game.

Maybe Joba would be better off on The Bachelor than in the 8th inning spot.

Oh, and good win.

Klemy

Haha. I hadn’t seen that. It’s great.

mark

I think it’s “holmes” and not “homes”, as in “domination, holmes”… reference to sherlock, i think… who knows…

http://philledup godfather

phil was NOT ok yesterday; he continues to pitch like a scared bitch at the stadium, and if eiland has a clue to firing him up, it isn’t showing; saying the only time phil was hurt was by the homerun is ludicrous; take a look at his performance on the road: not the same dude; and i don’t attribute it to the stadium’s distances; it’s in the methodology of his pitching…guys are getting too many good swings against a pitcher with his talent